The man’s voice was low and rough. Only then did Bai Zhou notice the faint, lingering scent of smoke in the living room.
Fu Linchen rose to his feet and walked toward him, taking the backpack off Bai Zhou’s shoulder. He didn’t ask where he’d been, nor why he was returning so late.
He simply bent down and pulled Bai Zhou into his arms. The scent of ebony and cedar wrapped around him, mixed with an unmistakable trace of smoke, like heat slipping quietly into winter frost.
He held Bai Zhou tightly, so tightly it felt like he wanted to imprint him into his bones. After a long moment, he tilted his head and rubbed gently against Bai Zhou’s cheek. Only when he felt the warmth of the boy’s body did he slowly loosen his hold and ask in his usual calm tone, “Have you eaten?”
“I have.”
It was the first time Bai Zhou had ever smelled smoke on him. He blinked in surprise. “You smoke?”
Fu Linchen stiffened slightly. “If you don’t like it, I won’t smoke anymore.”
“I don’t really mind but… have you eaten yet?”
Given how late it was and the way he was sitting in the dark waiting, Bai Zhou could guess the answer.
Since he hadn’t eaten, Bai Zhou felt obliged to explain himself. After all, disappearing for almost an entire night without notice was not something a decent “boyfriend” should do.
Bai Zhou patted his shoulder, signaling him to turn around. Then he opened the little backpack on Fu Linchen’s back, pulled out the cup and held it up in front of him.
“I went to pick this up today. Something unexpected happened on the way back. That’s why I’m late.”
“Mm.” Fu Linchen nodded. He didn’t pry into what the ‘accident’ was. He simply held Bai Zhou’s hand and guided him deeper into the house.
Bai Zhou let him lead but tilted his head to observe him.
He gave the man’s hand a little squeeze. Fu Linchen turned back and asked gently, “What’s wrong?”
“You still haven’t answered my question. Did you eat?”
The boy tilted his head, looking up at him with wide, soft eyes. His long lashes fluttered under the light and his rosy lips moved lightly as he asked whether Fu Linchen had eaten, like, in that moment, the entire world had narrowed to only the two of them.
Fu Linchen stopped walking. He bent down again and wrapped the boy in his arms, resting his chin on Bai Zhou’s shoulder.
“No.”
Bai Zhou sighed. Of course.
Why did every man in his life seem incapable of basic self-care?
“I can cook noodles. Do you want some?”
A muffled hum came from the man resting on his shoulder.
Then he turned into a human-sized pendant, sticking close wherever Bai Zhou went, his gaze never leaving him even for a second.
Unable to bear being stared at relentlessly, Bai Zhou assigned him the simple task of washing the vegetables but even while washing, the man kept glancing sideways at him as if Bai Zhou might vanish the moment he looked away.
Bai Zhou had been missing the entire day. Fu Linchen had imagined countless possibilities, maybe Bai Zhou just went out without his phone, maybe he returned to school briefly, maybe his phone died, maybe he was stuck somewhere, maybe he was on a mission.
But the possibility that frightened him most was that Bai Zhou’s mission had ended.
Because that meant Bai Zhou would leave. Silently. Without goodbye. Without trace. Disappearing entirely from this world.
That thought had chained him to the villa, making him too afraid to even open the door. He waited and waited. As if by staying still, he could keep Bai Zhou from slipping away.
Sighing, Bai Zhou tossed the vegetables into the pot. He stirred them with one hand, lifting the other to reach for bowls,
Only for Fu Linchen to lean in automatically, as though conditioned to expect a touch.
Bai Zhou froze, then chuckled. Instead of finding bowls, he reached up and pinched Fu Linchen’s earlobe, teasing lightly.
“Go get the bowls. The noodles will be done soon. Come on, don’t sulk.”
He used his fingers to press gently at the man’s cheeks, shaping them upward into a wide smile.
“One, two, three, cheese.”
Fu Linchen obediently curved his lips.
He knew he shouldn’t waste even a moment immersed in this anxious, clinging emotion. His time with Bai Zhou was something he measured in seconds, he couldn’t let his own mood darken these rare moments.
He could have adjusted quickly. He could have gone back to being the perfect, attentive boyfriend, never adding pressure to Bai Zhou’s mission.
But Bai Zhou had told him not to be upset.
And something inside him loosened. Bai Zhou’s concern made him want to lean closer, and made him want to give even more in return.
He lifted Bai Zhou’s hand and kissed the boy’s fingertips. Then he wrapped his arms around him from behind.
“I don’t you want to leave.”
Bai Zhou laughed and poked his forehead gently with the end of his chopsticks. “And what if you starve?”
“Then cremate me and take me with you.”
His tone was almost peaceful, as if saying something utterly horrifying was the most natural thing in the world. His arms tightened again.
Bai Zhou froze. Wasn’t his memory erased? Why was he saying things like this?
“Where exactly are you planning to follow me?”
“To the ends of the earth. Wherever you go, I go. Even if I’m just a handful of ashes, I wouldn’t weigh much. Easy for you to carry.”
He murmured into Bai Zhou’s ear, sounding completely sincere.
Bai Zhou tapped him on the head with the chopsticks, trying to dispel such ominous thoughts. “Go get the bowls. If the noodles turn mushy, you’re sleeping in the kitchen tonight.”
Only then did Fu Linchen reluctantly release him. Before leaving, he sneaked a tiny kiss onto Bai Zhou’s cheek and whispered so quietly it barely counted as sound:
“I won’t sleep.”
He dodged the chopsticks about to land on his forehead and hurried off to get the bowls, acting like the picture of obedience.
The bowl he returned with made Bai Zhou blink.
It was the little bear bowl they had made together.
“Zhouzhou’s bowl holds Zhouzhou’s noodles,” Fu Linchen said seriously. “And Zhouzhou’s noodles go into Zhouzhou’s boyfriend’s stomach.”
Holding the small bear bowl with both hands, he looked genuinely content. His eyes glimmered faintly as he watched Bai Zhou, like soft light glinting on water.
Bai Zhou turned off the stove and tapped the pot. “Then who’s going to wash the pot I used to cook the noodles in?”
Fu Linchen’s hand shot up. “Zhouzhou’s fiancé.”
Satisfied, Bai Zhou lifted the noodles into the bear bowl.
“You eat first. I’m going to shower and change.”
He barely took a step when his sleeve was tugged.
Fu Linchen placed the bowl on the table and looked up at him, dark eyes unwavering.
“Wait for me. Okay?”
The words were phrased as a question but the grip on his sleeve was anything but tentative and somehow, with suspicious timing, he had learned a bit of soft, clingy charm, lowering his voice and murmuring, “I just want you to stay with gege a little longer.”
Bai Zhou’s steps stumbled. He sat down across from him, ears pink to their tips.
Fu Linchen stared unabashedly, clearly amused by the color flooding the boy’s ears. The corner of his mouth lifted.
Tomorrow, he was absolutely tipping that post titled “108 Tricks to Capture Your Boyfriend’s Heart.”
“Zhouzhou likes hearing that?”
He poked at the noodles in his bowl, smiling faintly. “I like it too.”
Bai Zhou glared, face burning scarlet. “If you keep talking, I’m not helping you anymore.”
Fu Linchen shut up immediately and ate quietly.
Since his own phone was unusable, Bai Zhou sat at the table playing a match-three game on Fu Linchen’s phone. His fluffy head drooped as he focused. He curled his bare feet onto the chair, knees hugged close as he leaned back.
Every time the game chimed an enthusiastic “Unbelievable,” the corners of his lips lifted the tiniest bit, like a quiet, content spark glimmering in the cozy kitchen light.
Fu Linchen lifted the noodles with his chopsticks. The rising steam blurred the world before his eyes and through that thin veil of white mist, his gaze seemed to melt into liquid, wordless, warm, wrapping around the boy across from him.
He wanted to finish quickly so he could take the boy back to the bedroom and hold him again but he also wanted to savor every bite of the noodles the boy had cooked for him, slowly, carefully, as if tasting something precious.
Caught between devouring them and cherishing them, he finally emptied the entire bowl. The moment he finished, he stood up with his bowl and chopsticks and strode into the kitchen to wash them.
Bai Zhou looked up from his “thrilling and nerve-wracking” game just long enough to see the man dutifully standing at the sink washing dishes, then lowered his eyes again, completely absorbed in the final step of his game.
He hadn’t yet figured out how to solve it when his feet suddenly left the ground. The world spun and the next second he was lifted straight into someone’s arms.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking you to shower!”
“I’m literally one step away from clearing this stage! I…. ”
The boy’s unfinished protest was swallowed entirely by the man’s kiss.
Steam gradually filled the bathroom, fogging the glass walls. Through the hazy, mist-covered surface, two overlapping silhouettes could be seen faintly intertwined.
The air in the bedroom soon heated to an unbearable degree, so warm even the air-conditioning could not keep it down. Moisture covered the windows, forming droplets that slid down in shimmering trails.
The huge bed offered Bai Zhou nowhere stable to escape. Step by step, the man pressed closer, leaving him with no choice but to retreat. Lips caught between his teeth, face burning, chin tipped up helplessly, he trembled backward, only to be abruptly dragged forward by the man’s strong grip around his leg.
“T-Today… something’s wrong.”
His cheeks were flushed rose-pink, his eyes misty, lips bitten red and trembling as he turned away, trying to accuse the man’s behavior.
“What’s wrong?”
The man lifted his head from the boy’s tender chest, large hand stroking over the soft skin before he tilted his face to kiss along the boy’s slender neck.
“You… you weren’t like this before.”
Bai Zhou’s hands shook as he tried to push away the man’s wandering fingers. His pale hands clutched the sheets and he shrank back again, until his spine hit the cold headboard.
Fu Linchen gave a low laugh, amused and moved in again. He lifted one of the boy’s legs and pressed a teasing kiss to it. “And how was I before?”
“Not like this!”
“Then how about we try something different today?”
Before Bai Zhou could refuse, the man had already lowered his head and captured his reddened lips.
As it turned out, a man’s promises were never trustworthy.
He had said he would stop when Bai Zhou called him “gege.” Yet even after Bai Zhou’s voice was hoarse from calling, the man still hadn’t stopped, if anything, he had only become more eager.
Furious, Bai Zhou bit down hard on the man’s sweat-damp shoulder, vowing never to fall for his tricks again.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long before he was coaxed into another new form of address.
“This time for real, Zhouzhou baby. Just trust me one more time, hmm?”
Bai Zhou buried himself under the blanket and refused to respond.
The man pulled the blanket away effortlessly and kissed the boy’s flushed ear. “Don’t suffocate yourself. Zhouzhou baby… believe me just once more, okay?”
Bai Zhou lifted an arm to cover his eyes, voice trembling as he stumbled right into the man’s newest trap.
“H-h… husband.”
Night deepened.
Droplets slid silently down the windowpane and faint light seeped through the curtains, falling onto the two sleeping figures tangled on the bed.
Most of the blanket was wrapped around the boy. The man’s bare upper body was covered in scratch marks like those left by a mischievous cat. His strong hand circled the boy’s waist and the boy, face delicate and soft, sculpted like pink jade, slept soundly against his chest.
The man opened his eyes, propped himself up slightly. The blanket slipped lower.
Leaning against the headboard, he gazed down at the sleeping youth in his arms. His eyes softened like warm water.
The thought that he had to leave for work soon and spend an entire day away from him made him wish time would simply stop, so he could lie back down and hold the boy until the end of the world.
He wrapped his arms tighter and kissed the top of the boy’s fluffy hair twice. Just as he was bracing himself to get up, the boy’s eyelashes fluttered. Fu Linchen immediately lay back down and shut his eyes.
Bai Zhou pushed himself upright, accidentally brushing against something that made him let out a low, involuntary sound.
His expression darkened. He looked down at the man beside him, still pretending to sleep and raised his hand with the full intention of slapping him awake, only to wince and pull his hand back mid-air.
Before he could fully retract, the man’s hand closed around his wrist. He pulled it to his lips and planted several playful kisses on the back of it, not looking even remotely asleep, his smile was practically overflowing.
Realizing he’d been fooled yet again, the mighty King Zhouzhou launched himself at the man, biting and clawing in an angry flurry.
The man stayed relaxed on the bed, letting the boy “demonstrate his dominance.” He even tilted his chin up to make it easier for Bai Zhou to attack.
But the moment Bai Zhou remembered the spot where his pajama had brushed painfully earlier, his expression twisted into something wicked.
He leaned down and bit hard on the rising plane of the man’s chest. A muffled groan escaped the man’s throat, satisfying enough that Bai Zhou lifted his chin proudly and patted the man’s chest.
The next second, his smile froze.
He immediately fled off the bed, snatched a pillow and threw it at him. “Pervert!”
Fu Linchen sat up with an innocent face and caught the pillow before hugging it to his chest.
Bai Zhou spun around and ran into the bathroom, refusing to stay in the same room with that cunning man for another second.
The employees of Fu Corporation discovered something today, something not exactly a secret yet surprisingly shocking.
Their CEO… seemed to have a partner.
Why was it “not exactly” a secret? Because anyone with eyes could see the changes: Fu Linchen, always impeccably dressed, appeared with wrinkles in his suit and the top button of his shirt undone, deliberately revealing the faint red marks scattered on his neck.
When no one dared ask, Fu Linchen sighed and directly flooded the company group chat with tens of thousands worth of red envelopes.
Designer Xiao Liu: CEO, this is…?
Fu Linchen: I’m getting married.
Fu Linchen: [Red Envelope]
So even the wealthy were capable of becoming hopelessly love-struck.
The entire chat exploded. Compliments rained down, “a match made in heaven,” “destined lovers,” “may you grow old together,”every sweet phrase imaginable. Their flattery earned the company another handful of red envelopes.
The finance department’s Xiao Wang nearly became a die-hard stan of the future spouse on the spot, ready to get rich purely by worshipping them.
Content with the blessings of his entire company, Fu Linchen returned to his office in the best of moods.
Meanwhile, Bai Zhou, bored at home, decided to “strengthen his mission professionalism” and began reading works like The Art of War, Thirty-Six Stratagems and Game Theory.
When Fu Linchen came home from work, he found the boy curled on the sofa, a thin blanket covering his stomach, clutching The Art of War while sleeping soundly. Under the soft amber lamp, even the tiny hairs on his cheek were visible.
Gently, he carried the boy back to the bedroom.
The next day, however, Bai Zhou had a new obsession.
“I report Concubine Xi for adultery!”
Bai Zhou crouched tensely on the sofa, fists clenched, eyes glued to the TV screen, completely unaware that Fu Linchen had come home.
“Zhouzhou, come eat.”
Fu Linchen had come back early today with Bai Zhou’s favorite dishes but in the face of the great Concubine Xi returning to the palace for a blood-test reunion, all food paled into insignificance.
Bai Zhou wolfed down dinner and rushed back to the sofa with the remote control.
By evening, after showering, Fu Linchen emerged to find Bai Zhou still frozen in the exact same pose, completely engrossed.
“Zhouzhou, come to bed.”
“Mm, you go first.”
Bai Zhou didn’t even look away from the screen, dismissing him casually.
“Don’t watch anymore. It’s too late, it’s bad for your eyes.”
Fu Linchen leaned down and kissed the boy’s chin, only to be pushed away because he was blocking the view.
Unwilling to surrender, he took the boy’s hand and slid it under his shirt. His voice grew low and rough, brushing against the boy’s ear. “Not going to play any games with me?”
Without turning his head, Bai Zhou jerked his hand back. No one was allowed to distract him from his “studies”!
Fu Linchen sat aside with a dark expression, picking up the Art of War that Bai Zhou had tossed away.
“Zhouzhou, how about we go back to reading this tomorrow?”
This time, Bai Zhou didn’t even acknowledge him.
And so, for the next several nights, Fu Linchen sat beside him as Bai Zhou binge-watched nearly every palace-drama ever produced in the country. Just as the boy began stretching his claws toward international dramas, Fu Linchen reluctantly sold his beauty to win back his lover’s attention.
Time passed both quickly and slowly.
The wedding drew nearer.
✦ ✧ ✦
Vynellia
[Translator]
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Every small bit of support means something to the person behind the translation.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Green Tea Bun (1)Chapter 2 · Green Tea Bun (2)Chapter 3 · Green Tea Bun (3)Chapter 4 · Green Tea Bun (4)Chapter 5 · Green Tea Bun (5)Chapter 6 · Green Tea Bun (6)Chapter 7 · Green Tea Bun (7)Chapter 8 · Green Tea Bun (8)Chapter 9 · Green Tea Bun (9)Chapter 10 · Green Tea Bun (10)Chapter 11 · Green Tea Bun (11)Chapter 12 · Green Tea Bun (12)Chapter 13 · Green Tea Bun (13)Chapter 14 · Green Tea Bun (14)Chapter 15 · Green Tea Bun (15)Chapter 16 · Green Tea Bun (16)Chapter 17 · Green Tea Bun (17)Chapter 18 · Green Tea Bun (18)Chapter 19 · Green Tea Bun (19)Chapter 20 · Green Tea Bun (20)Chapter 21 · Green Tea Bun (21)Chapter 22 · Green Tea Bun (22)Chapter 23 · Green Tea Bun (23)Chapter 24 Part 1 · Green Tea Bun (24)Chapter 24 Part 2 · Green Tea Bun (24)Chapter 25 · Green Tea Bun (25)Chapter 26 · Green Tea Bun (26)Chapter 27 · Green Tea Bun (27)Chapter 28 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (1)Chapter 29 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (2)Chapter 30 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (3)Chapter 32 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (5)Chapter 33 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (6)Chapter 34 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (7)Chapter 35 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (8)Chapter 36 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (9)Chapter 37 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (10)Chapter 38 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (11)Chapter 39 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (12)Chapter 40 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (13)Chapter 41 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (14)Chapter 42 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (15)Chapter 43 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (16)Chapter 44 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (17)Chapter 45 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (18)Chapter 46 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (19)Chapter 47 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (20)Chapter 48 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (21)Chapter 49 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (22)Chapter 50 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (23)Chapter 51 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (24)Chapter 52 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (25)Chapter 53 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (26)Chapter 54 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (1)Chapter 55 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (2)Chapter 56 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (3)Chapter 57 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (4)Chapter 58 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (5)Chapter 59 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (6)Chapter 60 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (7)Chapter 61 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (8)Chapter 62 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (9)Chapter 63 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (10)Chapter 64 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (11)Chapter 65 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (12)Chapter 66 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (13)Chapter 67 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (14)Chapter 68 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (15)Chapter 69 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (16)Chapter 70 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (17)Chapter 71 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (18)Chapter 72 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (19)Chapter 73 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (20)Chapter 74 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (21)Chapter 75 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (22)Chapter 76 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (23)Chapter 77 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (24)Chapter 78 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (25)Chapter 79 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (26)Chapter 80 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (27)Chapter 81 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (28)Chapter 82 · Apocalyptic Lord (1)Chapter 83 · Apocalyptic Lord (2)Chapter 84 · Apocalyptic Lord (3)Chapter 85 · Apocalyptic Lord (4)Chapter 86 · Apocalyptic Lord (5)Chapter 87 · Apocalyptic Lord (6)Chapter 88 · Apocalyptic Lord (7)Chapter 89 · Apocalyptic Lord (8)Chapter 90 · Apocalyptic Lord (9)Chapter 91 · Apocalyptic Lord (10)Chapter 92 · Apocalyptic Lord (11)Chapter 93 · Apocalyptic Lord (12)Chapter 94 · Apocalyptic Lord (13)Chapter 96 · Apocalyptic Lord (15)Chapter 97 · Apocalyptic Lord (16)Chapter 98 · Apocalyptic Lord (17)Chapter 99 · Apocalyptic Lord (18)Chapter 100 · Apocalyptic Lord (19)Chapter 101 · Apocalyptic Lord (20)Chapter 102 · Apocalyptic Lord (21)Chapter 103 · Apocalyptic Lord (22)Chapter 104 · Apocalyptic Lord (22)Chapter 105 · Apocalyptic Lord (24)Chapter 106 · The Real World (1)Chapter 107 · The Real World (2)Chapter 108 · Extra 1